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York Catholic student presented with $160,000 scholarship during class

A York Catholic senior won a full ride to Saint Vincent College.

By ANGIE MASON Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
01/09/2013 11:23:49 PM EST

York, PA -

On the way home from a visit to Saint Vincent College campus last spring, Alex Pawlikowski vowed to get the top score on a test that determines the winner of the school's Wimmer Scholarship, a full ride with room and board.

He was sort of making a joke, he said. He knew kids who'd taken the test -- which includes a math section, general knowledge and an essay -- previous years, and it was difficult.

But a few days before Christmas, he learned by phone that he'd gotten the top score and earned the scholarship, worth $160,000.

"He was just speechless," his mom, Chris Pawlikowski, of Windsor Township, said. "He just held up one finger."

Alex, 18, remembered his jaw dropping. He wrote the news down for his mom.

"She just screamed," he said.

Representatives of the college had more in store, bursting into Alex's class on Wednesday with a giant check and presenting it to him in front of his classmates and family.

Alex plans to study biology, in hopes of later going to medical school and becoming a neurologist.

Saint Vincent, a Catholic liberal arts and sciences college in Latrobe, Pa., was his top choice, he said. He liked the smaller campus and met professors that he liked.

Chris Pawlikowski said the scholarship is a big help for the family. Alex and his twin brother, Nicholas, will both be graduating in the spring and heading off to college, and his younger brother, Samuel, a freshman at York Catholic, will be headed that way in a few years.

"It was a wonderful Christmas for our family," she said.

Shawn Gouch, admissions and financial counselor for the college, said the Publishers Clearing House-style presentation is a fun way to grant the scholarship and make the day all about Alex.

From the left, Alex Pawlikowski gets a hug from his mother Chris, while Shawn Gouch, an admissions and financial councilor, second from left, and his father Greg, right, look on at York Catholic High School. (YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL)

"It's good to see the smiles on the family's faces," he said.

Meet Alex

Who: Alex Pawlikowski

Age: 18

Award: Winner of the Wimmer Scholarship, a full tuition, room and board scholarship to Saint Vincent College. He earned top score on a test to win the scholarship.

Activities: Pawlikowski, a member of St. Joseph Parish, York, has played soccer for York Catholic and the United Parish Soccer Club. He volunteers with Catholic Harvest Food Pantry and worked as setup coordinator with Saint Joseph Parish Bingo. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Source: Saint Vincent College, Pawlikowski family

About the scholarship

The Wimmer Scholarship was named in honor of Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, who founded Saint Vincent College in 1846 as the first Benedictine college in the United States, according to a news release. The winner is based on students' performance on a written exam, which was given at the college in November.

More than 200 students took the 2013 test, the release says. Students who took this year's test were nominated by their high school principals because they are college-bound and met academic qualifications, the release says.

Also of interest

Alex Pawlikowski gets up from his seat in a class at York Catholic High School Wednesday to receive his $160,000 Wimmer Scholarship Saint Vincent's College. (YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL)